Wireless headsets and other portable communications devices are often battery powered such that a user can use the wireless headset or other such device without being directly connected to larger power source such as an a/c outlet or automobile battery. This allows wireless headset users flexibility and convenience to move about without being tied to a power cord. Wireless headset batteries are generally rechargeable so that the batteries can be re-used so that the batteries need not be discarded after use.
In the prior art, devices employing rechargeable batteries typically have charging contacts so that charging current power can be supplied to recharge the batteries without removing the batteries from the device. In a typical setup, the portable device is inserted into a charging base (also referred to herein as a “base station”) which has contacts that correspond to and couple with the contacts on the portable device. The base charger is connected to a power source, and supplies charging current through the coupled contacts to recharge the batteries located within the device.
Wireless headsets are typically charged in one of two ways. “Mobile” headsets are charged by installing a charging plug into the headset with power coming from a wall transformer or cigarette lighter adaptor (CLA), similar to cellular telephones. “Home/office” headsets are charged by placing the headset into a docking cradle in a base station with power supplied by the base station through spring loaded contacts, similar to remote handset phones used in the home.
Spring-loaded surface contacts (also referred to as “wiping contacts”) are generally used with charging bases. This is a convenience feature as users can simply drop the headset into a cradle without fumbling with a plug. Although there are plug-type docking connectors, such as those for personal digital assistants (PDAs), there are several reasons why a plug connector is not a good solution when docking a headset to a base. The first is pull-out force. Plugs usually require too much force to connect and disconnect, requiring two hands to undock the headset, offsetting the main reason for the base in the first place: convenience. The second is that a plug connector does not lend itself to docking because of the wide variety of unknown future form factors, thus potentially limiting future designs. Wiping contacts can be placed on the side of a taper form headset, making docking into a cradle much easier than a plug.
However, there has typically not been a standard charging interface utilized by charger and wireless headsets and other portable devices. As a result, newer designs often utilize a different charging interface that is not backwards compatible with prior chargers. Furthermore, only one charging interface is included. As a result, improved charging interfaces for chargers and wireless devices are needed. In particular, charging interfaces offering increased flexibility are needed.